Nathan MottonGillard's report questions the AFL's weak drug policy
March 1st 2008 10:53
Justice Gillards probe into West Coast has reportedly queried the AFL's three strike drug policy, raising the question of when clubs should be offically informed of drug indiscretions.
Gillard is understood to have been critical of the Eagles, claiming there was sufficient evidence for the club to begin addressing its drug problem well before the AFL told it to.
The report has not made specific recommendations for change, rather attempting to point out flaws.
Surely this is another slap in the face of the AFL and it's supposed tough drugs policy.
I don't intend to go into the nitty gritty of this policy, but just to point out, this scribe has long opposed it.
It was battered from pillar to post last year in the media, some in favour and others vehemently against it.
But it's about time the AFL and the AFL Players Association started taking some of this criticism onboard, and started admitting that it needs to be changed.
Many clubs have long argued that they should be made aware of their players failing drug tests well before the third strike, when the information is made public.
This must happen.
The AFL is not expected to finalise its review of the drug code for a while yet and only after further talks with the Federal Government and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
But Gillard's scepticism about the AFL's policy is proof that the league must move to fix it.
And fixing it starts with getting rid of this obsession for trying to defend it as good policy and understanding that it has fallen out of step with community sentiment.
Gillard is understood to have been critical of the Eagles, claiming there was sufficient evidence for the club to begin addressing its drug problem well before the AFL told it to.
The report has not made specific recommendations for change, rather attempting to point out flaws.
Surely this is another slap in the face of the AFL and it's supposed tough drugs policy.
I don't intend to go into the nitty gritty of this policy, but just to point out, this scribe has long opposed it.
But it's about time the AFL and the AFL Players Association started taking some of this criticism onboard, and started admitting that it needs to be changed.
Many clubs have long argued that they should be made aware of their players failing drug tests well before the third strike, when the information is made public.
This must happen.
The AFL is not expected to finalise its review of the drug code for a while yet and only after further talks with the Federal Government and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
But Gillard's scepticism about the AFL's policy is proof that the league must move to fix it.
And fixing it starts with getting rid of this obsession for trying to defend it as good policy and understanding that it has fallen out of step with community sentiment.
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